Billiard table cushion



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W. J. RUDD. BILLIARD TABLE CUSHION.

Patented Oct. 13, 1896.

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" W. J. RODD.

BILLIARD TABLE CUSHION. v No. 569,519. Patented Oct. 13, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM J OHN RODD, OF ST. LEONARDS, NEW SOUTH WALES, ASSIGNOR TO TVALTER GEORGE HENDERSON, OF SYDNEY, NElV SOUTH XVALES.

BlLLlARD-TABLE CUSHION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,519, dated October 13, 1896.

Application filed A gust 19, 1895. Serial No. 559,844. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM JOHN RODD, accountant, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at St. Leonards, near Sydney, in the British Colony of New South Vales, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to the Cushions of Billiard-Tables and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the cushions of billard-tables and the like; and it consists in the peculiar construction of pneumatic or airinflated cushions and their disposition around said tables, whereby such cushions are rendered extremely, sensitive and effective in practical use.

Cushions for billiard-tables and the like constructed according to this invention i11- stead of being made of one pneumatic tube or of a pneumatic tube in combination with a nosing or other part of elastic material, are made wholly pneumatic and consist of a multiplicity of pneumatic tubes whose disposition is such that the resilient strength of each one supports the others. In use I anticipate that three such tubes will appropriately form effective cushions, and this number I prefer as being more easily disposed to form a cushion and more easily handled in manufacture and repair. These tubes fit into appropriate metal terminals and are cemented thereto, such terminals having inlet-valves thereon similar to cycle-tire valves for the allowance of the necessary air-pumping and such terminals being conveniently attached to the edge or rim of the table 5 but in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now be made to the drawings herewith, in which- Figure 1 is a full-size cross-section of a pneumatic cushion constructed according to these present improvements and fixed in place upon a billiardtable. Figs. 2 and 3 show, on a reduced scale, a plan and side elevation, respectively, of a portion of a billiardtable adjacent to the side or middle pockets, while Fig. at is a similar partial plan to Fig. 2 in the vicinity of a corner-pocket.

The bed A, frame A, and rail A of the table are all of the usual construction, with the bed A of slate or other suitable material covered with the ordinary cloth A fastened by strip A in the ordinary manner. The rail A is secured to the bedA bybolts A screwed into nuts A in recesses A as well understood. I

The cushions are formed-of three inflated tubes 1) b 19 preferably of india-rubber B or other suitable impervious elastic material, and each tube is covered or incased in canvas, linen, or other like textile fabric 3, exactly fitting the rubber B or preferably just slightly larger than the tube. Each fabric casin g has a double tail or web B by which the tubes are fastened in place, as hereinafter described. The top backing (J of the cushion is fixed to the rail in any ordinary manner, say, by a gluejoint and dowels c, and the other parts of the backin g attached thereto by means of screw C", whose heads take in recesses The backing is made in one piece, with grooves c and c for the back tubes, and when so shaped it is then parted into four pieces by means of a saw or such like, so that strip 0 secures the tail web of the back upper tube Z) to the top backing O, to which it is temporarily tacked, so that strip 0 secures the tail web 13 of the outer tube 1) to the strip O, to which it is temporarily tacked, and so that final or bottom backing C secures the tail web B of the back lower tube b to the strip C to which it is temporarily tacked. The screws 0 being then inserted and tightened up,will fasten the whole cushion together, and the wrappings or casings C being placed around the whole they are fastened in any well-known manner, making the whole cushion'complete with the outer edge or angle in a perfectly straight line.

At the pockets the grooves c and c are curved around as desired, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. One set of the ends of the tubes 1) b 11 take upon the nipples (1, C1 and d (to which they are hermetically cemented) of the metal terminal D, which is screwed upon or 9 otherwise attached to casing E, which is secured by its top plate E to the face of the rail A of the table. One terminal D of each set of the tubes is a blank or stop, while the other end is a hollow casing, having thereon a valve D, similar to the valve on the pneumatic tires of cycles, which valve takes Within the casing E, which has aperture E at one end, through which the discharge-nozzle of an airpump (similar to a cycle-tire pump) may be inserted for the purpose of inflating the tubes.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that What I claim is I 1. The combination with the rail of a billiard-table, of a backing secured to the rail and having a plurality of longitudinal grooves, a plurality of inflated tubes arranged in the grooves, and an air-valve'having a terminal provided with nipples to which the inflated tubes are attached air-tight at one end, said terminal being common to all the tubes at one end, for the purpose of simultaneously inflating them, substantially as described.

2. In a billiard-table cushion, the combination with a backing secured to the rail of the table and having two grooves in its inner face, of twoinfl-ated tubes arrangedin said grooves, an inflated tube superimposed upon the tubes arranged in said grooves, and means for confining said tubes in the said grooves, substantially as described.

3. In a billiard-table cushion, the combination with a backing composed of a plurality of sections superimposed one upon the other, of a plurality of inflated-tubes arranged in a group against said backing, each of said tubes being incasedin a textile casing having radially-projecting Webs disposed between the sections of said backing, and means for securing said sections together, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the rail of a billiard-table, and a backing secured to the rail, of a plurality of inflatable tubes mounted on and connected with the backing, and an airvalve having a terminal common to all the tubes and provided with nipples to which the tubes are attached air-tight at one end,whereby the tubes may be simultaneously inflated, substantially as described.

Dated this 15th day of July, 1895.

WILLIAM JOHN RODD. lVitnesses:

FRED WALsH, MICHAEL JOSEPH CANDRICK. 

